Career Overview
Operate or tend a variety of machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
Also Known As
- Boot Maker
- Inseamer
- Side Laster
- Stitcher
Alternate Job Titles
- Anchor Operator
- Anchorer
- Ankle Patch Molder
- Apron Trimmer
- Arch Cushion Press Operator
- Archer
- Back Closer
- Back Stayer
- Back Strip Machine Operator
- Back Wedger
- Barrer
- Bed Laster
- Bed Machine Operator
- Binding Dyer
- Binding Stitcher
What You'll Do
In this role, your typical responsibilities include:
- Inspect finished products to ensure that shoes have been completed according to specifications.
- Align parts to be stitched, following seams, edges, or markings, before positioning them under needles.
- Operate or tend machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
- Remove and examine shoes, shoe parts, and designs to verify conformance to specifications such as proper embedding of stitches in channels.
- Switch on machines, lower pressure feet or rollers to secure parts, and start machine stitching, using hand, foot, or knee controls.
- Draw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles.
- Study work orders or shoe part tags to obtain information about workloads, specifications, and the types of materials to be used.
Key Abilities
This career requires key abilities in:
- Near Vision
- Arm-Hand Steadiness
- Control Precision
- Manual Dexterity
- Finger Dexterity
- Multilimb Coordination
- Oral Expression
- Selective Attention
- Problem Sensitivity
- Extent Flexibility
Work Style
People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:
- Attention to Detail
- Dependability
- Cautiousness
- Perseverance
- Achievement Orientation
What Matters in This Career
This career tends to satisfy these work values:
- Relationships
- Support
- Achievement
- Independence
- Recognition
Education & Preparation
Typical Education: Less than a High School Diploma
On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
Technology You'll Use
Popular Technologies & Software
- Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Office software
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
Tools & Equipment
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Automatic staple guns
- Bobbin winders
- Claw hammers
- Heavy duty scissors
- Heel wheels
- Industrial sewing machines
- Knife sharpeners
- Leather pressing machines
- Leather punches
- Multipurpose screwdrivers
- Patch machines
- Production conveyor systems
- Sanding machines
- Scissor sharpeners
Work Environment
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Contact With Others
Salary & Job Market
| Salary Percentile | Annual Wage |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (10th percentile) | $24,160 |
| Median | $38,160 |
| Top Earners (90th percentile) | $47,860 |
Workers Employed Nationally: 3,270
Related Careers
If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:
Sewing Machine Operators
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $36,000
Cutting and Slicing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $45,700
Shoe and Leather Workers and Repairers
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $35,950
Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand
Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
Median Salary: $41,690
Cutters and Trimmers, Hand
Education: Less than a High School Diploma
Median Salary: $38,800
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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.